Dwayne Johnson is one of the most bankable movie stars working today, and the actor has appeared in 30 or more action movies in his two-decade acting career (some of which are classics, while others have totally disappeared into obscurity). Johnson first became famous for his wrestling pseudonym, The Rock, and was known across the world for The Rock's eyebrow, ridiculous one-liners (such as "Can you smell what The Rock is cooking?") and absolutely oozing charisma. It was clear very early on that Johnson was never going to be confined to just the wrestling ring, and in the 2000s, the wrestler applied his on-stage charm to action movies.
Johnson essentially attempted to break into Hollywood twice, as his first leg of acting in the early 2000s quickly fizzled out. It actually seemed like Johnson wasn't cut out for acting and that maybe his wrestling persona should have stayed in the ring. However, the former wrestler learned from his mistakes and made better movie choices in the early 2010s. Instead of leading subpar action movies, Johnson was willing to build an impressive filmography as a ing actor, which then led to the actor once again in lead roles, only this time it was in billion-dollar movies.
30 Free Guy (2021)
Free Guy is a fun movie about a video game NPC who begins to wonder what is going on in his video game world. The 2021 release is in no way a bad film, but in of Dwayne Johnson action movies, Free Guy doesn't give the actor a platform to show off his unrivaled charisma. In the movie, Johnson doesn't even show his face and his role is simply a voice-only cameo, as the former wrestler plays a bank robber with his face covered by a balaclava. It's one of the many fun celebrity cameos in Free Guy, but it isn't exactly a Dwayne Johnson action movie.
29 Doom (2005)
Doom is an action movie based on the video game series of the same name, and just like most video game movies of the era, the 2005 release doesn't totally take the source material seriously and is more of a schlocky B-movie than a faithful adaptation. Doom almost killed Johnson's career, as it was the actor's third box office bomb in a row. However, interestingly, instead of playing the movie's hero, Johnson plays Sarge, who becomes a villain. Given Johnson's current brand and his contracts literally stating that he can't lose a fight, there's no way he'd ever take a villain role at this point in his career.
28 Walking Tall (2004)
Walking Tall follows a military officer, Chris Vaughn, who returns to Washington to find work at a lumber mill. However, when he finds out that the lumber mill has turned into a casino and is operated by criminals, Chris takes on the crime and corruption in the area without the police's help. Johnson is great in the role as it shows his potential as a leading man, especially as he plays something of a vigilante, a type of character that he has become known for with Black Adam. However, Johnson's performance is the only silver lining in the movie, which is full of confusing action sequences and cringey dialogue.
27 Baywatch (2017)
Baywatch is a remake of the popular TV show of the same name, and it follows the tried and true formula established by 21 Jump Street, as the 2017 movie's jokes make fun of itself and the TV show it's based on. Not only that but the movie remake also elevates the series into a high-octane action movie. Unfortunately, Baywatch had the worst ratings in Johnson's career. 2017's Baywatch was criticized for lacking the original's charm and campiness, proving that a movie needs more than just charismatic actors like Johnson and Zac Efron to be a success.
26 Empire State (2013)
2013 saw Johnson expand his range by playing a rather dramatic role in Empire State. The 2013 release is full of action, but the heist drama's high stakes demand more ionate and intense roles from its actors as opposed to something like Baywatch. However, once again, the only praise that was given to Empire State was Johnson's performance. Johnson might have proven he has more range than what audiences thought, but the tone of the movie is all over the place, as Empire State constantly switches between flashy action and gritty drama so quickly that audiences might get whiplash.
25 Get Smart (2008)
Get Smart is based on the 1960s spy movie of the same name, and as 2008 was shortly after Johnson's profile was at an all-time low following a string of box office bombs, the actor took a backseat, playing the ing character Agent 23. The movie isn't great, but it has enough laughs, most of which come from Johnson hamming it up as a villainous double agent. If his time in wrestling hadn't already done so, Get Smart proved that Johnson wasn't afraid to look silly in movies, though that might have changed in the years since.
24 Faster (2010)
The 2010 movie certainly sounds like it's part of the Fast & Furious franchise (and the title on the poster has a suspiciously similar font to the Fast & Furious logo). However, Faster could basically act as Johnson's audition for the billion-dollar franchise, as the 2010 movie is in the same vein with its crime story and fast cars. The film is a cat-and-mouse action thriller between a criminal and a corrupt cop. Faster was badly reviewed upon release, but there are enough cheap thrills in the lean 90-minute action movie, and it ultimately marked Johnson's comeback as a lead actor.
23 Fast X (2023)
Once again, it's hard to call Fast X a Dwayne Johnson action movie, as Johnson appears in Fast X's post-credits scene only. The actor reprises his role of Luke Hobbs, who hasn't been seen in the franchise since Fate of the Furious (excluding the spinoff Hobbs & Shaw). Despite claiming that he would never return to the franchise, Johnson's appearance in the Fast X post-credits scene sets up Hobbs's comeback with another spinoff and maybe even a role in Fast & Furious 11. Given that Fast X was criticized to no end upon release for not making any sense, Johnson's cameo is ironically the best thing about the 2023 movie.
22 Skyscraper (2018)
Skyscraper follows former FBI agent Will Sawyer, who must save his family from a newly built Hong Kong skyscraper during a terrorist attack. The movie has so many similarities to Die Hard that it could easily be mistaken for a remake. However, Skyscraper's quality is in no way on the same level as the 1988 classic. The biggest problem with Skyscraper is that, while Die Hard's John McClane is an average NY cop that that's thrown into an impossible situation, no viewer doubts for a single second that Dwayne Johnson's character will save the day.
21 Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012)
Johnson seemingly has an interest in adventure movies, and he could be to thank for the genre not completely dieing. While there are significantly fewer adventure movies than there used to be, Johnson is keeping the genre alive. From the Jumanji series to Jungle Cruise, Johnson thrives in the genre, but Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is the one exception. The 2012 movie, which is a standalone sequel to 2008's Journey to the Center of the Earth, is instantly forgettable. However, while there isn't much of a narrative, the film is stitched together with fun and ridiculous vignettes.
